Dance For A Dead Princess

I have read quite a few historical novels and, for the most part, I am either disappointed by the lack of historical accuracy, or a lack of “sense of time and place.” Deborah Hawkins’ novel, Dance for a Dead Princess, is a notable exception. Through obvious research, and with an excellent ear, Deborah Hawkins gets these details right. It is clear from “Dance” that Ms. Hawkins knows British history generally, and the royals in particular. She also writes a first rate mystery, and has no trouble time traveling between modern day and by gone days to flesh out an interesting tale. (Teaser: Did Princess Diana really know she was about to be murdered? Who knew?)
This is a book for book lovers. The interweaving plot lines and characters are engaging and involve some of my favorite themes: intrigue, murder, lies and betrayal. What’s more, there’s a plot twist that this reviewer didn’t see coming. So the story unfolds naturally, and when the mystery is inevitably solved, the results ring true, even if, like me, you didn’t see it coming. The plot details are certainly important, but not the main focus of my comments. I’ll leave that to others. I liked Dance for a Dead Princess so much because of the setting, and the way it conjured up spidery old castles, palaces, princes and princesses and the naughtiness that usually ensues when secrets are kept…Anglophiles will certainly want to read this one. Kudos to Ms. Hawkins for a finely crafted novel.

"Dance for a Dead Princess" is author Deborah Hawkins' debut novel. It tells a tale of romance and intrigue, mixing the past with the present with a firm grip on the mysterious lives of British royalty and socialites. Our main characters, Taylor Collins and Nicholas Carey, present two opposites of exotic worlds; the throat-cutting Wall Street companies and the old, mysterious Burnham Abbey. Weaving a story that swiftly moves between the tragedies of Sir Thomas Carey, a knight at the court of Henry VIII, and Nicholas Carey's own personal tragedies of loss, love and death. Princess Diana's tale is part of the plot, although it only adds slightly to the scheme of events. The real hero is Sir Thomas Carey with his tale of treason, bravery and a love that defies oppression. Another hero of the novel is the setting: the cold walls of fancy apartments in New York's Upper Eastside, the conspiracy-laden atmosphere of Burnham Abbey and the treacherous era of Henry VIII's court.

Deborah Hawkins skillfully lays out her plot with the characters dancing around it. The pace, if a bit too slow, builds up gracefully until the last chapters. The language is simple but shows how good Hawkins is at researching her characters and their settings.

Overall, "Dance for a Dead Princess" makes for a satisfying read for romance and mystery fans who are looking for a well-written book with interesting characters.

Love dance especially ballet. Hate getting a romancenovel accidentally. Not a conspiracy believer. Surprised how much I liked the book!

Dance for a Dead Princess will transport you into a world of intrigue, mystery and romance. This is the kind of book you want to give as a gift to your friends who love to read, to pack for your next long plane trip, or to take with you on vacation. The gripping plot will have you tuning out everything around you and racing to the finish. The characters will stay with you long after you put the book down. Loved it! Can't wait for Deborah Hawkin's next novel!

Great read! Diverting, fun, and absorbing. I just loved it.

A diverting if convoluted romantic/suspense book based on the premise that Diana (yes, THAT Diana) left a video tape revealing who killed her. She calls her dear friend, Nicholas Carey (the 18th Duke of Burnham - a fictional character) to tell him of the tape and he swears he will find it and reveal it. To that end he starts the process of selling his ancestral home to a school for girls so that he can demand that a certain attorney work on the deal because she is a friend of a friend of Diana's. (Remember I wrote it was convoluted.)

Taylor Collins is a woman who is driven to succeed (and guess what? she's beautiful too!) and she heads over to England to make sure that the title is clear and the manor can be sold. While looking for the appropriate papers she stumbles upon the diary of the first Duke of Burnham and she falls in love with his story and the manor she is supposed to arranging for sale. And quite possibly the current Duke. But every time she starts to trust him - SOMETHING HAPPENS!.

There are so many twists and turns in so few pages I think I have whiplash. In my humble opinion had there been maybe one or two less I might have enjoyed the book more. As it was I ended each chapter with a cynical - gee, what could POSSIBLY happen now. It somewhat ruined what was at its heart a nice little romance with a murder and mystery or two tossed in.

The writing style is very readable other than the overabundance of red herrings. I liked the main characters and the finale was quite satisfying.

3.5

I absolutely loved reading this book. It's story about Princess Diana and the spin off of it was beautifully written. I loved that Deborah Hawkins tied it to 'Pavane for Une Enfante Defunte,' one of my favorite peices.

Once started, being forced to put down the book for sleep after a 12 hour shift pained me very much. Very engaging and stylish romantic writing of the past was one of my favorite part of the book. Recommend to all who loves mystery and romance!!

"Dance For A Dead Princess" by Deborah Hawkins is a really, really good novel. It has romance, suspence, murder, intrigue and will keep you on the edge of your seat page after page. When you think you have guessed the mystery, it will take you on a surprising turn.

"Dance For A Dead Princess" is the story of Nicholas, the Duke of Burnham who is widowed and has a charge that is a 16 year old and is more than a handful. He is trying to sell the Abbey that has been in the family dating back centuries. He meets Taylor, an attorney, who is handling the sale and also the estate of a very good friend that was murdered. The deceased has a tape made by Princess Diana that reveals secrets including her demise that people are after. Throughout all of the findings of legal papers for the sale of the Abbey and the finding of the tape, murder and romance take place. This book is absolutely fantastic and the ending is very surprising, I did not see that coming!! Of course, I will not reveal the ending, you will have to read that for yourself! I very highly recommend "Dance for a Dead Princess"! It is definitely 'my cup of tea'!

Not great but not awful. Predictable and implausible.